J3 (Amateur Hour) Podcast

After a yearlong hiatus, J3 returns stronger than ever with an epic episode that must be heard to be believed. After catching up on all things J3, they are joined by Yoel's teenage son Noam to discuss Africa and true crime, before featured guest Avrumi Weinfeld shows up to answer questions about his globetrotting adventures across all seven continents. (00:00:00) The return (00:19:49) Noam (00:46:...

Wayne Cohen, pawn shop owner, star of the TruTV reality series Hardcore Pawn: Chicago, and Jordan's father's cousin, regales the J3 boys (minus Josh) with tales of growing up on the south side, brushes with death, his brother’s run for lieutenant governor, and his life in the pawn business.

J3 welcomes author and Ida Crown grad’ Sara Sherbill following the publication of her new book, There Was Night and There Was Morning: A Memoir of Trauma and Redemption , a searing, must-read memoir. Sara opens up about her experience as the victim of domestic abuse, her childhood as the daughter of a pulpit rabbi in Northbrook, the reactions to going public with her story and much more. Link to S...

Josh and Jordan recap their night attending a Goose concert together (sort of) at The Salt Shed, as Yoel tries to wrap his head around why anyone would want to stand and listen to live music for 3 hours. Meanwhile, Aaron drops in to answer questions about his upcoming film, 'Not If I See You First', which J3 executive produced.

Bob and Debbie Hartman stop by to tell the story of their upbringings, long-distance courtship and deep involvement with Chicago's Jewish community. Highlights include tales of Cliff Huxtable, the Reichman family, Gianni Versace and many more.

The boys are joined by Michael Barnatan, owner and operator of Evita Argentinian Steakhouse, to chat about Barnatan's childhood in Argentina, his early interest in aviation, what brought him to Chicago, and of course what it's like to run a kosher restaurant in Chicago. Meanwhile, Jordan tries his hand at a question of the day.

The renowned Eric Rothner becomes the pod's first repeat guest, joining J3 to offer his thoughts on Chicago’s present and future, discuss changes to his charitable giving, current events, and gives a glimpse into how he vacations and unwinds. Meanwhile, Josh regales the boys with a tangled tale of lost luggage and time wasted, a new contest is created, and Yoel gets two attempts at his question of...

Rabbi Ari Hart, spiritual leader of Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob, takes us on his journey from Evanston to Iowa and Israel and back to his hometown where he has reinvigorated a congregation rich in history with his unique style. Topics discussed include music theory, women’s roles in shul and activism. Also, Yoel’s question of the day bombs for the first time.

Joined by special guest host Doni Garden, the boys discuss Jordan, Josh and Doni's recent trip to Israel, where they met soldiers and families and saw sites impacted by the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, and (some of them) helped out a local farmer by picking cabbages.

Lincolnwood resident Dr. Naftali Brenner joins the pod to discuss how he managed to overcome traumatic experiences in the Brooklyn yeshiva system, his PSD from losing a disposable camera on 9/11, and learning basic education in college before attending the allegedly first dental school in the world.

Yoel, Jordan, and guest host Jon Blumberg sit down with healthcare executive Moshe Blonder to discuss his Brooklyn upbringing, what brought him to Chicago, his love of (and willingness to travel far and wide for) good food, and the time he picked up a severed head off the street as a member of Hatzalah.

After Yoel recounts his recent experience in Israel, Shahram Kohananoo joins the pod to discuss his upbringing in Iran, memories of the Revolution and the life he built in Chicago as a Persian immigrant.

Ross Gordon of Skokie drops in to chat about his entrepreneurial career, including his current and former ventures, and his religious and spiritual journeys.

Former Director of Judaic Studies at Hillel Torah, Tamar Friedman takes us through her career at the elementary school, where she spent 38 years as a teacher and administrator before retiring in 2021. She also discusses her upbringing in Israel, where she lived during the Six-Day War as a young child, as well as numerous occasions when her family lacked a proper refrigerator.

Following a multi-episode hiatus, Yoel returns as co-host. Jordan recaps the March for Israel, which he attended in DC, before the pod is joined by his brother-in-law, IDF veteran Nachum Meyers, who takes us through his time in the army, including a riveting look into an infamous mission he participated in.

Influencer Alyssa Goldwater sits down to discuss her impressive following on Instagram and TikTok, how she became Orthodox, and the correct pronunciation of "Louisville", and Josh sets the world record for longest question of all time.

Jordan, Josh and producer Aaron return from a brief hiatus for the first episode of season 2. They recap their respective summers, offer a preview of what's to come in the second season, and discuss the elephant in the room.

In the final episode of Season 1, we explore the life and legacy of Rabbi Meyer Juzint (1924-2001) by bringing on students throughout his 53 years of chinuch in Chicago to understand his personality, story and the mystique surrounding him. 0:00 - Introduction w/ Jordan 7:20 - Stephen Landes 42:17 - Rabbi Louis Lazovsky 1:02:20 - Rabbi Elisha Prero 1:20:12 - Rabbi Ari Shoshan 1:51:21 - Dr. Jonathan...

In the penultimate episode of Season 1, the pod welcomes Chicago criminal defense attorney Hal M. Garfinkel, who started out on the prosecution side, has been involved in numerous high-profile cases and represented many infamous clients. He takes us through some career highlights, and touches on his religious journey as well.

For the first time ever, Mordechai Shaul Eisenbach, better known to many as Charles ORD, tells his story of going from a healthy young softball mashing man to being diagnosed with cancer, struggling through lengthy surgery, rounds of chemo, and grueling rehab, and coming out the other side ORD STRONG.

In the pod's first-ever guest couple, Rabbi Shlomo and Devorah Soroka take the hosts through their early married years in St. Louis and subsequent move to Chicago, where Rabbi Soroka entered the political realm as the Agudah's director of government affairs, while Devorah relocated her thriving sheitel business.

J3 gets together with their esteemed producer at an undisclosed location somewhere between Lake Michigan and the Pacific Ocean to vent about recent frustrations, go over summer plans, and engage in a seemingly endless discussion on favorite summer activities.

J3 welcomes Harry Friedman to discuss his feeding and sheltering the community over the years - from the Milk Pail to Champion Roofing.

Rabbi Eliezer Dimarsky recounts his upbringing in Soviet-occupied Ukraine, becoming a refusenik and his fascinating journey that brought him to Chicago where he founded and leads the Russian-speaking community and Heritage. Also, the hosts would like you to send in mailbag questions! Email us at J3amateurhour@gmail.com!

Dr. Jonathan Rich reminisces on his youthful indiscretions while growing up with Yoel and Josh, before taking us through his medical and teaching career, including his time as an expert witness for the prosecution in the trial over George Floyd’s death. Jon and Yoel trade stories about their time on the ICJA Aces basketball team, and Jon provides insight into his side gig coaching the Aces.